The badminton stars accused of throwing matches in the women's doubles have been disqualified from the Olympics.

Eight female players were kicked out of the competition for unsporting conduct after trying to lose matches in order to receive more favourable placing in the play-offs.

The Badminton World Federation investigated the doubles players from China, South Korea and Indonesia, finding them guilty of "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" in matches on Tuesday night.

Both the Indonesian and South Korean teams entered an appeal against the decision. The Indonesians later withdrew their submission, while the sport's governing body rejected the South Korean bid. China did not appeal the sanction.

Spectators booed as the female players served into the net, hit shots long or wide, and employed time-wasting tactics as they appeared to try to engineer themselves a better draw in the next round of the competition.

All four pairs had already qualified for the last eight but top spots were still to be settled.

The fiasco began when Chinese top seeds Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang started to show little interest in beating Koreans Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na to finish top of Group A.

Referee Torsten Berg warns the players from China and South Korea

This would mean avoiding compatriots and second seeds Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei at least until the final.

The Koreans responded by copying China and referee Thorsten Berg emerged to warn all the players. The match restarted and the Koreans went on to win 21-14 21-11.

But that was not the end of the matter as a second Korean pair, the third seeds Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung, then attempted to throw their match against Indonesia's Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii.

Their motive was apparently an attempt to avoid Wang and Yu in the quarter-finals, an outcome they failed to achieve as they eventually won 18-21 21-14 21-12. The Indonesians in turn had also tried to lose the game.

Berg intervened and disqualified the players in the second game, prompting a roar of approval from the angry crowd, but quickly reversed his decision.

IOC vice president Craig Reedie, the former head of the international badminton federation, welcomed the decision.

He said: "Sport is competitive. If you lose the competitive element, then the whole thing becomes a nonsense.

"You cannot allow a player to abuse the tournament like that, and not take firm action. So good on them."

IOC spokesman Mark Adams added: "We applaud the federation for having taken swift and decisive action.

"Such behaviour is incompatible with the Olympic values."

The disqualified players are world doubles champions Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang of China and their South Korean opponents Jung Kyun-eun and Kim Ha-na, along with South Korea's Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung and Indonesia's Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii.